An Integrated and Networked Microscopy Center for Undergraduate Education

该项目集中于在生物系建立一个综合显微镜设施(IMF)。国际货币基金组织支持课程中所有级别的实验室练习(从一年级到毕业生)。这些练习是实验性的，可以通过学生对数据的协作分析来培养分析思维能力。这些学生中的一些人将毕业后成为教师。西南得克萨斯州立大学每年培养2000多名中小学教师，其中包括30-35名获得生物学教学资格的教师。此外，正在与地区高中建立一个外展计划。因此，项目计划强调在现有的透射式电子显微镜和光学显微镜上增加一台激光扫描共聚焦显微镜(LSCM)，以形成最先进的显微镜设施。由于LSCM可以提供的映像的性质以及其联网功能，因此LSCM对于此计划至关重要。成像由计算机控制和显示。图像数字化允许每个学生从他们的标本中收集图像，然后在远离国际货币基金组织的地点使用计算机检索图像。由于LSCM包括一台可完全联网的基于Unix的计算机，因此有可能广泛使用拟议的货币基金组织。在硬件已经到位的情况下，联网使来自国际货币基金组织的图像可以从校园内的所有地方和世界各地访问。因此，任何有工作站(由任何现代PC或Mac组成)的教学实验室都可以访问IMF。可获取的图像包括来自国际货币基金组织所有显微镜的图像，因为LSCM计算机也可用于从这些来源获取和存储图像。国际货币基金组织允许学生在熟悉的计算机环境中接触高科技。LSCM提供了使学生能够远程访问图像文件的技术。该项目目标的实施可以显著提高生物科学教育的水平，并为其他大学提供一个效仿的示范方案。

This project concentrates on the formation of an integrated microscopy facility (IMF) in the Biology Department. The IMF supports laboratory exercises at all levels in the curriculum (freshman to graduate). The exercises are experimental in nature and can foster analytical thinking skills through students' collaborative analysis of data. Some of these students will graduate to become teachers. Southwest Texas State University produces more than 2,000 elementary and secondary school teachers each year, including 30-35 certified to teach biology. In addition, an outreach program with area high schools is being established. Therefore, project plans have emphasized adding a laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) to the existing transmission electron and light microscopes to form a state-of-the-art microscopy facility. An LSCM is essential to this plan because of the nature of the images that it can provide and because of its networking capability. Imaging is computer controlled and displayed. Digitization of images permits each student to collect images from their specimens and later retrieve the images using a computer at a site remote from the IMF. Widespread use of the proposed IMF is possible because the LSCM includes a UNIX-based computer that can be fully networked. Networking with hardware already in place permits images from the IMF to be accessed from all over campus and from all over the world. Thus any teaching lab with a workstation (consisting of any modern PC or Mac) can access the IMF. Accessible images include those from all the microscopes in the IMF, as the LSCM computer can also be used to acquire and store images from these sources. The IMF allows students access to high technology in a familiar, computer environment. The LSCM provides technology that makes remote access to image files by students possible. Implementation of the objectives of this project can markedly increase the level of science education in biology and provide a model program for other universities to emulate.